Love at MUSC: Alumni couples whose connections lasted beyond graduation

Some connections last well beyond graduation.

At MUSC, relationships formed during a pivotal time in students’ lives sometimes grow into something more. From flirty study dates to proposals on campus and wedding parties made up almost entirely of MUSC graduates, alumni couples share their love stories and the role MUSC played in their journeys to happily ever after.

Study partners for life

“Couples who studied together stay together,” said Emily (Collins) Kulze, ’17, a graduate of the MUSC College of Health Professions.

For Emily and her husband, Frazier Kulze, M.D., ’17, a graduate of the MUSC College of Medicine, that sentiment rings true.

The couple met at an MUSC event while they were both students. “When I saw him again, it was in the lobby of the library where I was buying tickets to the back-to-school party,” she recalled. “He walked up and said, ‘Make it two.’”

They’ve been study partners – and dance partners – ever since.

Their MUSC connection doesn’t stop there. Their parents are also MUSC alumni, who knew each other long before Emily and Frazier met. “Our fathers have funny shared memories of clinical rotations together at MUSC,” Emily said.

“I feel fortunate MUSC is the place where I met my husband and made lifelong friends," she added. "The memories and relationships we built at MUSC are some of the greatest assets in our lives.”

A couple in matching checkered outfits and backpacks walk hand in hand down a tree-lined path, conveying a sense of togetherness and harmony.

Dr. Frazier Kulze, ’17, walks Emily Kulze, ’17, to class on MUSC’s campus when they were both students.

A graduate in a black gown, an older person in ceremonial robes, and a woman in a floral dress smile warmly indoors, conveying celebration and achievement.

Nick Orton, ’19, and Sarah Kate Orton, ’18, with Jack Thomas, who taught the anatomy class where the Ortons met.

A full-circle romance

Sarah Kate Orton, ’18, and Nick Orton, ’19, met their first summer at the MUSC College of Health Professions – Sarah Kate in the occupational therapy program and Nick in physical therapy.

Here's how Sarah Kate describes their romance:

“We officially met at one of Dr. Jack Thomas’s famous ‘post-gross parties’ after our first anatomy exam. We exchanged numbers, became friends and he began wooing me – and my friends – by bringing ice cream or Krispy Kreme doughnuts to our study sessions in the library and even bringing me lasagna leftovers for lunch.”

The couple moved to Atlanta for six years before returning to Charleston, where Nick is now a residential physical therapy faculty member at MUSC, teaching anatomy – the very class where they met.

Sarah Kate recently founded Charleston Pelvic Health and serves as an adjunct faculty member in the occupational therapy program at MUSC. 

"Many of our favorite memories were at MUSC-sponsored events: wine night at the Aquarium, back-to-school bashes and oyster roasts,” she said. “We have one son, Cooper (almost 18 months old), whose name is a sweet nod to our Charleston roots.”

Flirtation over formaldehyde

Jennifer Merritt, M.D., ’01, met her husband, Jay Merritt, M.D., ’00, in the anatomy lab on her first day at the MUSC College of Medicine.

Graduation photo featuring a smiling woman in a green and black academic gown and cap, and a man in a white coat with a bow tie. Background shows a tree-lined street with a house and American flags, conveying a joyful and celebratory atmosphere.

Drs. Jay and Jennifer Merrit, ’00 and ’01, met on Jennifer’s first day of medical school in 1997.

I guess the formaldehyde fumes didn’t dampen our spark because we’ve been together ever since,” she joked

Both Jennifer and Jay matched for residency at MUSC – Jennifer in ophthalmology and Jay in orthopedic surgery.

“We have fond memories of going for jogs along the Battery for study breaks, late-night dessert runs to Kaminsky’s and sunset boat rides in Charleston Harbor,” she said. “We are still so thankful for the positive and supportive environment at MUSC.”

More than 25 years into their marriage, they have two teenage daughters and live and practice medicine in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

An MUSC proposal

"My husband and I fell in love at MUSC,” said Alex Hamberis, M.D., who graduated from the College of Medicine in 2020.

“We used to love walking through the area near the historic dental school building, and he proposed on our favorite bench there.” That was in May 2024.

Hamberis and her husband, Stephen Patrick, M.D., ’20, also a graduate of the MUSC College of Medicine, maintained a long-distance relationship during their residencies – Hamberis at Mount Sinai in New York and Patrick at MUSC.

They returned to Charleston last year after completing their residencies. Hamberis is now at Charleston ENT, and Patrick is with Urology Associates.

A man kneels on one knee in front of a smiling woman in a red-and-white striped dress beside a wooden bench in a lush garden.

Dr. Stephen Patrick proposes to Dr. Alex Hamberis in front of their favorite spot on MUSC’s campus.

Nick and Sandi Griffin and Michael and Lori Cox Dupree, all from the College of Pharmacy Class of 1992, are still good friends who vacation together.

Three decades of double dates

The MUSC College of Pharmacy’s Class of 1992 boasts two love stories: Nick and Sandi Griffin and Michael Dupree and Lori Cox Dupree.

“MUSC is a special place to us,” Sandi said. “We made so many wonderful memories during our years there, including friendships that have lasted a lifetime.” Like with the Duprees. The couples were part of the same friend group as students and, more than 30 years later, still vacation together.

“We not only found each other, but we also found colleagues who became lifelong friends,” Lori said. “We take every opportunity we can to get together and are currently working on plans to meet next year to celebrate 35 years.”

For more MUSC love stories, follow #MUSCLoveStories on social media. Share your story about how MUSC impacted your life at alumni@musc.edu.